Peotsflyahia



(No Model.)

'J.VR. PVERRY.

` PIANO. No. 356,050. P tented J'an.,11, 1837.-

'and State of *Pennsylvania, have invented cer- UNITED STATES PATENT tries.

JOSEPH R. FERRY, OF \VILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA,

PlANO.

&PECEFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,050, dated January ll, 1887.

Application filed October 23, 1885.

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, JOSEPH R. FERRY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at 'Wilkes-Barr, in the county of Luzerne tain new and useful Improvements in Pianos, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has for its objectto facilitate the tuning of musical instruments, more especially pianos, whereby the pitch or tone of the strings may be readily varied to a minute degree to produce a limited contact between the string frame or plate and the tuning-pins, so as to hold the Strings more firmly and to permit of a nicety of adjustment or regulation of the pitch; and the invention consists of the coinbinations of parts, including` their construction, substantially as hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improvement as applied to a piano. Fig.2 is a vertical section of the same, and Figs. 3, et, and 5 are modifications thereof.

In the einbodinient of my invention I employ, as usual, the a rest-board A, comprising a series of hard-wood layers or sections, a I) c, which in practice are 'firmly bound and glued together, while upon this board or plank is bolted or fastened by Screws the iron string frame or plate b'. Upon the frame or plate b', over the opening thereof, is secured or fastened a metal plate, B, preferably of brass, where'by a space, d, is left or formed between the board or plank A and said plate B, as clearly seen in Fig. 2, the purpose of which will appear farther on. Upon this plate is cast or erected the bridge c, over which the strings f are passed,said Strings being also passed under a pressure-bar, g, secured or screwed to the plateB just in rear of thebridge e, the Strings being next passed from the pressure-bar to, and wound several times around, the tuning-pins, next described.

O C are the tuning-pins, which are driven through the holes or openings h of the plate B, and through the space d andinto the board or plank A, penetrating the latter its whole depth. The upper portions of the pins C are adapted, being angular, to permit of the ap- Serial No.180,743. (No model.)

plication thereto of a winch or other suitable tool for turning or twisting the pins in varying the pitch or sound of the strings, as will be more fully treated prcscntly..

Around the openings or holes h, upon the under side, the plate B is preferably reained out in a tapering form, as seen in Fig. 2,while said openings are normally made of less diameter than the pins passing through them. The reaming or tapering of the plate provides a limited contact between the plate B and the tuning-pins G near the outer ends holds the Strings more firmly, and by thus reaming the plate 'B, I thereby provide against the accidental loosening of the pins, which occnrs when the holes in string-frames are drilled* much larger than the tuning-pins, so as to have no contact whatever, as is the usual custorn; and, 'further, by simply reaming the said plate B, and providing but a limited contact between the pin and the plate, I lessen the tendency to rigidity from corrosion, as is liable to occur when constructed with the entire thickness of the plate, especially if of iron, in contact with the pins, 'from that cause, and which would render the pins immovable; also, the pins being unencumbered in the space d, and having saidreduced points of contact with the plate B, they are permitted to turn or spring or twist thereat, while their lower embedded portions are practically rigid, whereby, as pressure is applied to their upper ends, as aforesaid, to effect the twisting of the same, the slightest change or effect in the pitch` or tone of the Strings (the tension or tightening of which has thus been effected) can be secured, as is obvious, and thus facilitate the tuning of the instrument. \Vith the holes or openings h, which receive the tuningpins, made normally of less diameter than the latter, it will be seen that upon driving the pins thereinto the metal (the plate B having said holes being preferably of brass, as before stated, or a malleable metal) will roll or turn inward, and thus, while perinitting the passage of the pins, will wedge in place or firmly secure the pins as against (lisplacement or turning under the drawing action or strain of the strings.

In lieu of the employment of the additional rectly in the tuning-pin plate E, as stated, or

IOO

in the iron frame or plate b", the same being reamed out around the piirholes as in the plate B, while the top layer of wood of the wrest plank or board may be chiseled or cut out to provide the space the equivalent of that beneath the plate B.

A modification of my invention is shown in Fig. 3, wherein I dispense with the use of the superposed pin-plates and produce the limited contact by reaming the pin-holes directly in the string-hame; or, without departing from the spirit of my invention, the said superposed pin-plate may be applied directly to the wrestplank, and the said string-frame abut against the front edge of said superposed pin-plate in a manner. similar to that indicated by the dotted line shown in Fig. 3, at which point the inner ends oi" the said pin-plate and iron string-frame meet.

In Fig. 4 will also be seen another modification ofmyiuvention,which consists, essentially, in providing the lower end of each tuning-pin with a metallic casing orjacket, C', which fits tightly on each pin, resting on the wrest plank, and is provided on its upper end with an ontwardly-curved flange or rim which rests against the upper surface ot' each hole or open ing h of the plate B, producing a limited contact, as before mentioned.

When the plate B is of iron instead of brass or other malleable metal, I provide for insertion in each pin-hole a bushing, I), of brass or other suitable metal, as seen in'Fig. 5, and oflike construction or contour as the holes in the pin-plate, to permit the pin to 'be driven solidly thereinto, and thereby cifcct the same result as ii" the entire plate were made of malleable metal. This bushing may extend the whole thicliness of the piuplate and have a rim on its upper or outer edge to rest upon the plate, and thus reduce friction while holding the pin from binding, as it is liable to do when free from the iron frame or plate, or said bushing mav be angular in cross-section and without a rim,and be set down solidly on the wrestplank.

This improvement, in addition to its present application, is also applicable to all stringed musical instruments. r

I am aware that it is not new to provide a fastening device or tone-lock for tuning pianos and other stringed instruments, consisting of an insulated tuningpin, insulated fixed and slidingjaw-plates, and an adjustable locking pin or key with eonical wedge part;

but my invention is an improvement over such a device, as in the employment of my invenl the reamed or tapering tion I dispense with the use of any adjustable plates serving as locks, but ream out from the superposed pin-plate the holes for passage oi" the tuning-pins, which have a limited contact with the said pin-plate. The object of my invention is accomplished by the application of the superposed pin-plate either to the iron string-frame or directly to the wrest-plank, as before stated, to which it is rigidly secured.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Ina stringed musical instrument, the pinplate superposed upon the iron string-frame and having holes or apertures of normally less diameter than the tnning-pins, substantially as shown, and for the purpose described.

2. In a stringed musical instrument, the combination,with the wrest plank or board, of the frame or plate having or openings, and reamed or tapered upon the under side around said holes or openings, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In a stringed musical instrument, the combination, with the iron string-frame and wrest-plank,of the .rigidly-secured superposed metallic timing-pin plate, arranged substantially as shown, and for the purpose specified.

4. In a stringed musical instrument, the combinatiom, with the wrest plank or board and the string f 'anie or plate,ot`the superposed pin-plate with a space beneath it and having the pin holes or apertures with reamed or tapered walls, and the tuning-pins, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In a stringed musical instrument, the combination, with the wrest planl; or board and the string plate or frame, ofthesuperposcd pin-plate with a space beneath and having pin holes or openings, and the tuning-pins, said openings or holes each being normally of less diameter than the thichness or diameter of a pin, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. Iu a stringed musical instrument, the combinatiomwith the wrest-planlr, of theiron string-frame having openings in thesameimmediately under the tuning-pins, and superposed pin-plates i'orming a space between the said wrest-plank and the pin-plates, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH R. FERRY. lVitnesses:

J. F. CHOLLET, WEsLnY J onNsoX.

the timing-pin holes IOO 

